… Nissan Motor Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn, who has been given credit for completely revitalizing and saving Nissan from complete failure back in 2001 or so, indicated yesterday that the company he leads is working hard to develop the next generation of smaller, lighter auto batteries. This move will make Nissan (hopefully) more competitive in the technology field that is sure to be used more and more in the future for not only auto batteries, but 100% electric-powered vehicles as well. …

First Toyota has reportedly decided to add another stand-alone hybrid model to sell alongside its Prius, now it appears its Lexus luxury arm will be getting its own dedicated hybrid model as well. Lexus presently has three hybrid vehicles in its lineup, all of which, variants of the LS, RX, and GS, are versions of existing models. It seems Toyota, likely thanks to the success of the Prius, believes stand-alone models will help it move more hybrid vehicles. …